Start here Why this matters Small businesses often create shared folders quickly and keep adding people. Over time, old employees, vendors, external links, and unclear ownership make the file system harder to trust. Use this resource when Your team uses Google Drive, OneDrive, SharePoint, or shared folders. Employees are not sure where official documents live. External sharing has not been reviewed. Old employees or vendors may still have file access. What to review Top-level folders and shared drives. Folder owners and business owners. External links and public sharing. Former employee access. Vendor and contractor access. Sensitive files such as payroll, finance, human resources, and customer information.
Step by step Practical checklist List the main shared folders or shared drives. Identify the business owner for each area. Review who has access at the top level. Check for external links and public sharing. Remove former employees and old vendors. Create a naming and ownership standard for future folders.
Avoid these issues Common mistakes Using personal drives for business documents. Sharing folders with anyone who has the link. Keeping old employees as folder owners. Creating duplicate folders for the same purpose. Not reviewing permissions after role changes.
What Office Managers Should Know About Account Permissions Account permissions decide what employees can see, change, delete, share, or approve. For small businesses, permissions often become messy because access is added quickly but rarely reviewed later.
Employee IT Onboarding Checklist for Small Businesses A good onboarding process helps new employees start work without delays while keeping business systems organized and secure.
How to Organize Employee Passwords Safely for a Small Business Employee passwords should not live in text messages, notebooks, spreadsheets, or personal browser profiles. A safer password process helps protect business accounts and makes access easier to manage.
